Pakistanis vote amid violence

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistanis cast their votes in parliamentary elections on Monday amid fears of violence, accusations of vote-rigging and surveys indicating opposition parties could fare well.

Police reported two explosions during the morning at a polling place near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, a volatile region rife with Islamic extremists. One bomb exploded inside a polling place, authorities said, and a second bomb exploded when police arrived to investigate.

No one was hurt.

A few hours later, around 9:30 a.m. local time, gunfire between the Pakistan Muslim League - N and the governing party, the Pakistan Muslim League - Q, left one person dead, CNN's Reza Sayah in Islamabad reported.

The incident came about 12 hours after a gunman killed Asif Ashraf, a candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-N party, and two party workers, said Pervez Rashid, the party's central media coordinator. Three others were injured, he told CNN. The PML-N is the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom President Pervez Musharraf ousted in a 1999 bloodless coup.

Polls show strong support for two major opposition parties, including the Pakistan People's Party, whose leader -- and former Prime Minister -- Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27.
If those parties receive two-thirds of the seats in parliament, they could take steps to impeach Musharraf.

"This is going to be one of the most important election days in Pakistan's history," Sayah said.

It wasn't clear whether the fear of violence would keep voters home, Sayah reported.

In addition to Bhutto's killing, violent incidents have preceded the election, including seven attacks on Saturday, one of which killed about 40 people, according to security forces.


On Sunday a gunman killed a candidate and two party workers, as they drove home from a campaign event in the southern city of Lahore, police said.

Musharraf has been a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic extremists since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Musharraf's government has received billions of dollars in U.S. aid, but critics have blasted Musharraf as an undemocratic ruler who dismissed judges, suspended the constitution and declared a state of emergency.